A Series of Firsts
by Miandrethal
Summary: A series of small ficlets depicting first times in Spocks's life. Can be read separately or as a series.
1. Chapter 1

A Series of First

_Smile_

The First time Spock smiled was when he was extremely young. He had to be around the age of three, the same age that Vulcan children learn how to play an instrument. He was watching Sarek intently with eyes that reminded his father of Amanda, studying with deep, brown pools of untapped potential. Sarek had the young Vulcan in his lap and showed him how to finger the lute to make the notes sing. The soothing sounds made the toddler coo and a full smile crept over the child Spock's lips as he stared at his father's large hands and the instrument.

Sarek quirked an eyebrow in a response and stared at his son, whose face quickly returned to that of a steel façade. The older Vulcan knew that this was strictly a human response. Vulcan children didn't usually smile. Sarek played the notes again and saw his son's lips quirk in the same regard. It occurred to Sarek that it wasn't at all a negative experience to see his son's lips turn up in a display of his human side. Sarek continued to string the same chords on the lute and Spock continued to smile.


	2. Chapter 2

_Prejudice_

It amazed Amanda at how cruel children could be. Even on earth as she was making her name as a researcher and teacher, she still couldn't believe the amount of cruelty that children could dish out against one another. She knew it was a right of passage for each child to experience the testing that all children did on the playground. The harassment upon the sandbox and bullying on the jungle gym were common among any group of humanoid children. However, the discrimination that her child frequently was exposed to was nothing other than acting out of what the parents of those children actually thought.

It hurt Amanda to think that because of her heritage her child was suffering. There were many late night arguments between her and Sarek that almost caused Amanda to pack her things and Spock and go and raise the child on Earth where she hoped that he would be more accepted. Sarek's logical arguments had been the only thing that had kept her on Vulcan. Amanda knew deeply that she could never counter her emotions against Sarek's steadfast logic. So, she stayed, and her son was set to put up with the taunting of his classmates.

It was on such a day that Sarek was called into the office of the Dean of the Academy that Spock was currently attending. Spock was one of their best students, and despite what all Vulcans thought of his half-human parentage, there was no logic strong enough to argue the intellect of a hybrid-vigor. Amanda had received the transmission first, noting that her child, in a fit of unfit emotion had severely beaten up another student. She sighed and handed the communication over to Sarek, and thus the duties of explaining Vulcan heritage over to their much too young child. Amanda seethed where Sarek sighed.

Upon seeing his son, Sarek knew what he had to do, he had to commit a truly human sin; Sarek had to lie. Sarek found that some of his wife's human emotion had inadvertently tainted his Vulcan logic. Or maybe, just maybe, no parent was logical when they saw their child completely broken. Sarek swallowed down this wave of anger that befuddled him and consumed him and went to sit by his son.

Sarek didn't regard his son with disappointment, only felt that emotion fully inside him for not explaining the repercussions of his own discretions with his mother. Sarek felt disappointed for the first time in his own life for not bonding with a Vulcan mate. It was illogical to feel this way; Amanda was hit mate, Spock his son and there was no turning back from that decision as of yet.

Spock sat stock-still waiting for his father to reprimand him. Spock justified his actions for beating the other Vulcan classmate and Sarek listened, noting that the other child was just antagonizing his son and insulting his parentage. Sarek clenched his fists and swallowed deeply.

"Emotions run deep within our race. In many ways more deeply than in humans, logic offers us serenity that humans seldom experience - the control of feelings, so that they do no control you."

Spock thought deeply about what his father said. He licked his lips and tasted the copper of his own blood, and a green flush tinted his cheeks in anger. Spock asked the next question cloaked in logic as he'd learned was an adaptable way to communicate with Vulcan society and more closely his father. The words he spoke were a blur of emotion guarded by the stronger prison of logic.

Sarek didn't look at his son.

"I married your mother because it was logical," Sarek lied completely. He knew what his son needed at this time.

It was in this moment that Spock decided that he would choose the Vulcan path and would succeed in it, despite what others may say about his parentage.


	3. Chapter 3

_Smooch_

Spock's first kiss was when he was twelve years old and on the planet Earth. His father was on an Ambassador Mission in San Francisco and his mother had taken him to visit her parents. Gwen and Solomon Grayson were astute people, but humans nonetheless. Spock was not accustomed to the fuss that they both made over him. The last time that his grandparents had seen him in the flesh was when they were all on Vulcan for the birth. Since that time, his grandparents had to settle for the small conversations thru the communicator that Amanda had with them, which were few and far between.

Now their daughter and grandson were on Earth in the flesh, and Gwen and Solomon had one thing on their minds, to spoil both of them rotten. Gwen Grayson hugged Spock's thin, gangly frame to her and pulled back to cup his cheeks in her hands.

"Oh, let me look at my Grandson," she said, pinching his cheeks and running her fingers over his pointed ears. He was getting so embarrassed that he felt the start of a flush run over his face, staining everything from his cheeks to the tips of his ears green.

"Gwen, you're embarrassing the boy," Solomon said, clapping Spock on his back, almost too hard and mussing the traditional Vulcan haircut. Amanda wanted to explain to her parents that Vulcans did not touch as much as this, but it was no use. Just before releasing Spock, Gwen Grayson applied a sweet, maternal kiss to his forehead and on his nose. Spock's face remained immovable, but he felt something stir nonetheless.

Later that night, when all was quiet in the house and it was just he and Amanda, Spock asked her.

"I do not understand was grandmother trying to create a telepathic link by applying her lips to my forehead?" he asked. Amanda chuckled and clutched her heart, staring down at her son with warm eyes.

"Oh Spock, no, she gave you a kiss. Its human physical representation of affection," she answered. Spock let that answer process.

"Do you kiss father?" he asked. Amanda quirked her lips into a smile, thinking fondly of her husband who was, no doubt, still in meetings pertaining to his profession.

"Yes Spock, I do," she responded.

"I've never seen you do it before," Spock said.

"That is true Spock; we only share those types of affections in private."

"Why then did grandmother kiss me openly when she first saw me?"

"Well, Spock, your grandmother is human and humans are more outward with showing affection."

"You are human, mother, so you should outwardly show your affection."

"Yes, but your father is Vulcan and I must respect his wishes of privacy, Spock."

"It doesn't seem fair," Spock commented. Amanda looked at her son and ran a hand over his smooth, shiny hair. She fluffed the pillow behind his head and watched him nestle into the sheets. She tucked him into the bed and smiled down at her son.

"Sometimes, in life you have to make compromises. I understand and so does your father," She said, turning to walk away from her son almost reaching the light to flick it off.

"Mother" Spock asked from the bed, still tucked in.

"Yes Spock," Amanda turned and looked at him.

"If you would like, you may show me the same affections as grandmother did today." Amanda felt as if she were going to cry. She turned and quickly walked over to her son, and kissed him on the forehead. She cupped his tinged green cheeks and choked back tears of happiness.

"Goodnight Spock," she said, standing from the bed and walking towards the door.

"Goodnight mother." Spock lay in his bed quietly and still, his face still tinged green from a wave of emotion that was welling up in his young heart. He would later tell his mother that they could compromise as well. If she needed to show affection to him, she could. He knew, despite all of the logic that he threw at the situation, that he enjoyed it when his mother indulged his human side.


	4. Chapter 4

_Morning Wood_

Spock had read about these things happening to humans, but never realized that his physiology would allow this to happen to _him_. Despite all of his Vulcan training on meditation, he still knew that he was half human. His human side had caused him to wake up this particular morning with a very persistent and aching erection. Spock knew that it was illogical to feel embarrassed about the body's response to stimuli, but he was nearly reaching his full adult maturity and this was the first time that he'd ever experienced such an effect.

Spock simply sat up in his bed and felt his erection bob against his stomach. He tried quiet meditation but he could not get it to go down, it wouldn't even subside. His meditation wasn't working, because his mind was still teaming with the dream he'd had the night before. Spock didn't dream often and when he did, the dreams were not remarkable enough to remember. However, this dream was special. The dream consisted of a woman he'd seen in one of his half-brother's magazines from Earth. Sybok had taken him into the room that he had in their home and shown him the images of Earth women scantily clad or not wearing anything at all:

"_It's called Playboy, Spock. It's an earth magazine that specializes in beautiful, naked women. The men of Earth purchase these periodicals to satisfy their carnal needs," Sybok said._

"_Fascinating," Spock responded, turning the magazine sideways and watching as the centerfold portion unfolded. Sybok turned and looked at the centerfold with him. It was a beautiful, dark-skinned woman. Her hair was long and silky black. Her lips were full and bowed, and she sucked the bottom portion between her teeth. Her lashes were long and her eyes soft and almond-shaped, beckoning Spock to come towards her. There was a feeling resonating inside of himself that he'd never known before. _

_Spock swallowed deeply, allowing for the first time to let his eyes gaze lower on the picture. The centerfold was in a state of complete undress. He let his eyes linger over the high, round breasts topped with coffee-colored nipples. Her stomach was flat and her legs seemed so long. He wanted her. He wanted her so badly he could feel it in the pit of his stomach. He felt sick, his stomach twisting and turning. Was this lust?_

"_She is quite stunning, but you need not breathe so hard, Spock," Sybok said, staring in amusement at his younger half-brother. Spock shuffled quickly and gave Sybok the magazine quickly. Spock could tell that Sybok was amused by his expression and wondered what he looked like._

"_You're nearly the color of an olive, Spock," Sybok said, a chuckle in his voice._

"_I've never… n-never," Spock tried to respond but couldn't quite gain his composure enough to stop stuttering. _

"_Ah, the first time seeing a naked female. Yes, it can be quite overwhelming," Sybok smiled slyly. His smile quickly faded when he heard Amanda's voice calling for Spock. Sybok quickly hid the magazine underneath folds of his bed._

"_Do not, under any circumstances, tell mother or father that I have these or that I showed them to you, or I'll feed you to a Le-matya. Now calm down and go, your mother is calling," Sybok pushed Spock from his room, the younger half-Vulcan looking quite disheveled. _

He knew that the morning gong would be sounding soon and he would need to head for the learning bowls, but he couldn't even concentrate on his morning meditation without trying to ignore the nearing painful pool of aching in the pit of his stomach. He'd only felt this amount of need the day before without this intense physical response. Now that the emotion had manifested itself to the physical, he needed to take care of it. This lack of concentration would not do.

The only logical reaction was, strangely, an instinctual one. He let his hand drift down over his aching need and gripped with a medium amount of pressure. Spock stared down at his engorged penis, tinged green and rigid, amazed at what it looked like. It was long and thick, touching his navel, and slightly larger at the head. He squeezed harder and stroked upward towards the tip, eliciting a small, involuntary shudder. He began an easy pace, stroking and running his hand over the head, and back down. It wasn't long before his hand was sticky with his own ejaculate. His head was thrown back against his pillow, sweat beaded his upper lip, and his breath was ragged.

He had but a moment to revel in the feeling of release before he heard the morning gong sound. In a flash of realization, he wiped the come, haphazardly, on his bed sheets and made a slapdash to prepare for his morning lesson. He would meditate during his morning shower.

Later that day, when Amanda was doing some house cleaning, she removed Spock's sheets from his bed, noting a strange, crusty stain in the middle of the sheets. Her eyes squinted, trying to figure out what it was, and then a knowing thought hit her like a ton of bricks. She rolled her eyes, all teenage boys, even half-Vulcans, were exactly alike, she thought. She made a mental note to have Sarek talk to him later.


	5. Chapter 5

_Hangover_

Spock sat up in his bed with a start. As soon as he sat up, he felt his body involuntarily fall back down. The light was blinding in his dorm room and his head felt as if it were being squeezed in a vice. His stomach was churning dramatically inside of his body, and to top it all off his mouth was as dry as the deserts on Vulcan. This was the first time in eighteen years that Spock wanted to commit suicide.

He tried to sit up slowly this time and scanned around the room for some semblance of what had happened the night before. His mind was a blur, the night before was a blur, Spock felt like a complete blur. This experience was an awkward one; there was an expansive and disconcerting gap in his memory. It was the first time that Spock couldn't account for everything that he'd said or done.

His eyes fell upon a trashcan that had been placed by his bed and the contents of the trashcan, which smelled like vomit. The trash smelled the way his mouth tasted, so Spock could only surmise that it was his vomit. The room was a mess, covered with, what he saw was his clothing (including his underwear), and a couple empty bottles of beer, food boxes, and a pair of matching women's underwear. Spock's expression was priceless. His eyes were wide and his mouth was slack.

A flush from the bathroom caught Spock's attention and he swallowed deeply. A beautiful woman emerged from the lavatory in a towel. Her hair was wet and water was beaded over her soft caramel skin. He didn't know who this woman was and was tragically feeling embarrassed, which showed on his quickly warming and green-tinged skin.

"Oh, you're awake," she said, retrieving her underwear from their place on the chair. She put them on underneath the towel, and then turned around, letting the towel drop to the ground and put on her bra. Spock looked down, not wanting to stare at the woman. She turned around and leafed thru the mess of clothes on the floor around her. She found a red shirt that Spock remembered he'd been wearing the night before; it was his roommate's shirt. Brandon had loaned it to him so that they could "go out and celebrate" as he'd put it. Spock felt a strange feeling in his bones welling. It was a feeling of not being content with the decisions that he'd made the night before. I believe that humans would call it regret.

"Look, before you say anything," the girl started talking, "I just want to say that I am so, very, very sorry about last night." Spock quirked his eyebrows and was strangely confused by her wording. Why was this woman apologizing to him?

"I am perplexed," Spock started.

"I figured you would be," Spock picked up embarrassment from her Southern tone. He couldn't quite pick up which part of the South she was from, but he knew that she was definitely Southern.

"You figured?" Spock queried again. His head hurt too much and he was too dizzy to concentrate on caring about the questions.

"I'm Becka, Brandon's girlfriend from Texas. I came up here to surprise him. I used his code that he'd given me a while back in a transmission. I came in and it was dark and I saw that you were wearing Brandon's red shirt, and I… sort of… molested you," Becka said. It was silent for what seemed like an hour.

"But nothing happened, really. Seriously, nothing happened. I kissed you and undressed you and I was about to… you know, but then I realized that you weren't Brandon. You then threw up. I felt so bad that I cleaned it up and brought you some water and the trashcan. Bad hangover huh?"

"Is this what this feeling is called?" Spock asked, relieved but not feeling any better at all.

"Yeah, comes from drinking too much alcohol."

"It was my first time imbibing alcohol."

"And I assume your last," Becka joked and quickly dressed. She gave Spock some advice about what to eat and what not to eat gave him some aspirin and told him to sleep. Spock followed her advice and took a mental note to change the code on his dorm room.


	6. Chapter 6

_Small Forest_

Amanda Grayson was holding her husband's hand so tightly that Sarek thought that she'd inherited his Vulcan strength. She watched with parental pride as her son saluted the Admiral and received his Starfleet diploma. She clutched her heart and looked from Sarek to Spock, tears of joy spilling down her face.

"Look at our son, Sarek. He's all grown up," she allowed the tears to fall. Sarek never liked it when Amanda cried, even if it was happy tears. He reached his free hand over to her face and wiped the tears away.

"Children tend to age, Amanda, that is the nature of living," he responded. She could see his chest swell in something that she would call pride, despite his stoic tone and face.

"Oh Sarek, I'm so proud of him," she responded, leaning into his shoulder. They were in public, but Sarek allowed Amanda the human impulse of resting her head on his shoulder. He couldn't deny that he found the experience pleasurable. Watching his wife's emotions spill out in such a human way made him, strangely, content. Hearing his son's name being called, albeit mispronounce, over a large intercom, made the Vulcan Ambassador puff up with satisfaction. Sarek allowed his posture to relax and enjoyed the ceremonies of Starfleet graduation as much as any Vulcan could allow himself to enjoy something.

"Spock, I am so proud of you," Amanda said, running up to her son after the graduation and wrapping her arms around him tightly. He didn't blush, but he didn't pull away either. Amanda was pleased to see that in his twenty-second year on earth, Spock was growing accustom to human interaction. Spock was, however, a true scientist, a participant observer in the cultures and species that he wished to study.

"Thank you, mother," Spock responded. She smiled up at her son and squeezed Sarek's hand.

"What is it that you have decided to do next, Spock?" Sarek asked.

"I was told yesterday before graduation that I am to commission as a Commander. I think I shall stay on earth to conduct more of my research in the sciences, father," Spock responded succinctly.

"Commander? That is such an honor," Amanda was speechless. Sarek bowed his head in acknowledgement.

"Mr. Spock," Captain Christopher Pike said around the crowd of people that had gathered outside of the graduation hall. Spock, Amanda and Sarek all turned to acknowledge him. Spock stood straight and saluted the Captain.

"At ease," Pike returned the salute.

"Yes Captain?" Spock queried.

"I have just received word of your commission grade from Admiral Perry. We both seem to be of the mind that you would be the perfect addition to my new unit," Pike said, his lips turning upwards in a smug smile.

"The Enterprise, sir?" Spock queried.

"I would like to offer you the position of Chief Science Officer. The Enterprise is still under construction. So, for the next four years, this position should give you ample time and security clearance to conduct your other experiments for Admiral Tipton and Admiral Horiuchi. I have looked over the concepts for this new addition and test for the Command Curriculum and I very much approve of its worth. You are a very special student, Commander Spock," Pike said, saying the word Commander, allowing Spock to try it on.

"I will consider it, Captain," Spock said saluting again. Pike saluted.

"You have a very talented son, you should be extremely proud. Good day, Spock, Ambassador, Lady Amanda," Pike said. He then meandered thru the rest of the crowd congratulating students.

"What is this new addition to Starfleet Command Curriculum that he was speaking of, Spock?" Sarek asked.

"Nothing is confirmed as of yet, but I am formulating an exercise that will test cadets in Command training on many things, such as: command under pressure and when facing certain death. It is based on my research of a Terran book that I read called _Catch22_. "

"Will you be staying on earth?" Amanda asked.

"If I decide to accept Captain Pike's offer, then I believe the answer is evident," Spock responded.

"Is this something that will be beneficial for you?" Amanda asked.

"I do not see why it would be any other logical outcome other than a benefit, mother," Spock responded.

"Then, Rabbit, I think it would be beneficial for you to take the position," Amanda said, calling Spock by his term of endearment and cupping his face in her hands.

"Amanda, I do not think it necessary to call him by that particular epithet," Sarek responded, sensing Spock's slight embarrassment at the nickname.

"Oh, let me have my time with my little boy, before I only get to see him on Vulcan holidays," Amanda responded, pulling her tall child down to her and kissing his forehead. Spock looked over to Sarek's stern eyes and then looked down to his feet.

"What do you surmise about the situation, father?" Spock asked.

"In this state of affairs, I can only comment about the logic of the matter. There is no pressing need for you to return to Vulcan at this time. It would only be logical for you to continue your research here on earth and continue on the path that you've chosen," Sarek said, his eyes betraying only to Amanda some of the sentiment that raged in his heart. Spock nodded his head in acknowledgement.

"Spocko!" Spock heard his roommate of four years, Brandon, call him by yet another moniker. His ears quirked and he turned to see the short, burly, blonde Texan running towards him, with his girlfriend Becka in tow.

"Brandon, this is my mother, Lady Amanda, and my father Ambassador Sarek," Spock introduced his family.

"Nice to meet y' all," Brandon said, his Texas twang getting the best of him in his excitement.

"Brandon graduated in the top five of his Interstellar Intelligence classes. He has also been assisting me with my research for the Command Curriculum," Spock explained. Sarek and Amanda nodded.

"Admiral Tipton approached me and said that she wanted me on the USS Lincoln with her. She wants me to take a year and finish the research concepts for the test, but I'm as good as her Chief Intelligence Officer. But that's not the good news," Brandon stopped and held up Becka's finger.

"Oh, Spock, me and Brandon are getting hitched!" she squealed in delight, hugging him. Spock blushed at this, only slightly remembering the strange situation she and Becka had been placed in four years ago. Becka pulled back quickly, remembering what both Spock and Brandon had told her about Vulcans.

"I apologize for probably the eightieth time, Spock, but I am so emotional right now" she said, flushing red.

"As I've explained before, there is no need for apology. I quite understand about the need for humans to express their emotions of joy," Spock responded. Amanda looked at Becka and smiled.

"Oh, this is your mother that you've told me about. Your son is just the sweetest thing," Becka raved, "maybe one day he'll find the perfect girl, human or Vulcan, for him. There have been times when I've threatened Brandon with leaving him for Spock."

Brandon tugged on Becka's hand, pulling her towards another heap of people.

"Well honey, we gotta go tell Matt," Brandon said to both Becka and Spock.

"Bitch-Face?" Spock responded, calling Matt by his nickname.

"After four years it's still a trip to hear you say that nickname. Congratulations!" Brandon said, pulling Becka along with him.

Amanda was aglow with delight at seeing how her son had morphed into a charming, fascinating, and astute young man. He was interacting admirably within human society, but still staying true to his Vulcan heritage.

Later that night when everything was quiet and the rush of graduation had subsided in the dorms, Spock considered his choices. He thought about the things that had happened in the first twenty-two years of his life and wondered about what would happen in the next twenty-two. He thought about his mother's happiness and his father's acceptance and about the choices that he'd made along the way to achieve these things. Not all of them had been logical. Most of them had been full of reason, but three percent of those decisions had been made using another portion of himself.

In that night's meditation he envisioned himself wading thru the tall trees of a small forest. No matter how strong or how large he was the trees were always larger and formidable. Even though the forest was small compared to the grand scheme of life and the universe, the obstacles of that forest always seemed to overwhelm him. He had to accept that he was never going to be a more dreadful force than those trees within the small forest.

The willingness to suppress emotion and to override that emotion with the peace of logic was like trampling thru that small forest. Sometimes logic was not clear. There were moments of wading thru the heavy woods of emotions and trampling down a forest to reach the light of logic. And then, there were times where he couldn't see the forest for the trees, no matter how small; a no-win situation. It was in this instant of meditation that Spock decided to call his new Command Curriculum Test the Kobayashi Maru.


	7. Chapter 7

_Her Name_

Spock and Brandon had spent the better half of the summer working on the Kobayashi Maru, or the "Kangaroo" as Brandon referred to it. They were in the middle of their research and were at an impasse. It was the move-in day of the new fall semester and he and Brandon were stuck in a research science lab arguing over the merits and fundamentals of the test.

"Spocko, I understand the logic behind the test, but I don't think you fully get the repercussions of what you're putting these cadets through," Brandon countered.

"The purposes of this particular test are to see the repercussions," Spock countered.

"I know, I know. I just think that the test is entirely too… bleak," Brandon responded.

"The very acknowledgement of certain death is bleak," Spock responded.

"All logic aside, and I know this is difficult for you to comprehend, but human beings find death to be a tragic thing, Spock. You just can't throw them into a situation that tests the very basis of human psychology and expect most species to react as a Vulcan."

"Acceptance of certain death is a necessary trait of a Starfleet Captain," Spock responded coolly.

"Agreed, however, I still say that the Kangaroo is a goddamn bitch of an unsatisfactory situation. Long story short, the test is fatalism at its best."

"The idea of Fate is precisely what I'm trying to avoid, Brandon," Spock responded. Brandon hung his head in his hands. After four years and only one argument won, Brandon still insisted on arguing with Spock. Brandon's hand swept thru his blonde hair and he exhaled with annoyance.

"Ok, let's take a look at the scenario," Brandon started, and Spock tried to listen, but something outside of the room caught his eye. Spock's attentions turned to the courtyard below them, to a host of new cadets moving into the dorms. Brandon continued to drone on in the background, pleading his case, but Spock was unwittingly distracted and happily so.

His eyes shown with a fierce, deep brown as he watched two cadets stroll up the courtyard. One cadet was a young Orion female and the other was a dark-skinned girl with devilishly long and black hair. The dark-skinned cadet was who Spock was watching intently.

Spock doesn't quite understand his interest in the cadet at first, but his mind is whirling with many questions. He wonders what the cadet is studying, he wonders if she's as smart as she is beautiful, he wonders what her name is, and a small part of him wonders what she tastes like though he doesn't quite understand that response. He knows it's illogical to enjoy the way that any other being walks but he loves the way that she moves instantly. Her gait is unlike any other humans, not leading with her head or with her chest; it's her hips that move when she walks, swaying non-sexually back and forth as she strides up the courtyard with her friend. He sees her laugh and wants more than anything to be the source of that response on her face. The smile that she has is intoxicating.

He watches as both his cadet of interest and her Orion friend are accosted by a handsome male cadet, the Orion girl taking instant interest. He is delighted to find that his cadet (strange the he is so possessive) is neither interested nor paying the male cadet any heed. His cadet even seems agitated at the male cadet's presence. Spock is instantly infatuated.

"Fascinating," Spock says aloud, in spite of all of his control.

"Did you hear a word I just said?" Brandon asks, his eyes crinkling at the corners in annoyance and turning to look at Spock. The sound of Brandon's voice clears the air for Spock and he turns to look at Brandon, shocked that he'd allowed himself to, what was it called, oh yes, "Daydream," about the younger woman walking up the courtyard.

"What are you looking at?" Brandon asks, walking over to the window and watching as the whirl and rush of humanity passes them by. He follows Spock's line of sight and notes both the Orion cadet and the dark-skinned one.

"Freshman meat eh? Which one?" Brandon asks, taking the time to appraise both women. Brandon quirks an eyebrow at Spock; waiting for a response.

"I do not know of what you speak," Spock responds, turning his attention back to Brandon, quite befuddled with the metaphor.

"Freshman cadets arriving at Starfleet, we call them fresh meat, because they're young, untouched and tender. Those two are definitely fresh meat. Which one were you staring at?" Brandon is excited, and twirls his wedding ring on his finger. Spock watches him and swallows largely.

"I was not staring at any "fresh meat," as you put it," Spock says, trying to recover his composure, "And neither should you be."

"Spock, I've known you for almost five years and I consider you a friend. Despite all of your Vulcan stoicism, I can still tell when you're, shall we call it, intrigued by something. I'm looking out this window and I see two beautiful, young women, and I see a good friend that desperately needs to get laid."

"That is completely inappropriate," Spock starts. Brandon holds up a hand for him to stop.

"I know I'm married, but I still know a beautiful woman when I see one. Those women are beautiful. And since you're single, I want nothing more than for you to act as if you're single."

"My species does not consider sex a temporary recreational activity. When Vulcans mate, we mate for life," Spock responds, not completely turning from the window. The dark-skinned girl is smiling again and he is mesmerized.

"Yeah, but you're also half-human, so half of you is dying for the loving touch of a woman. If not half, then maybe a fourth," Brandon jokes. Spock is amused to say the least, he quirks his lips into a small stoic semi-smile and looks at Brandon.

"The one with the long hair is fascinating," Spock responds after a moment of silence. Brandon watches as the dark cadet sways like the billowy trees in the courtyard. He realizes that Spock has good taste.

"That's one hell of walk she's got on her." Brandon comments.

"She walks differently than most humans, I've noticed."

"Good, you noticed her, that's a start," Brandon walks away from the window that Spock refuses to leave and sits on a tall stool.

"A start to what" Spock asks, his eyebrows hitting the top of his forehead.

"Something resembling romance; Becka and I are concerned for you. You're one of my closest friends and I think that you need to find the right girl, whatever her species, and settle down and have a family. I know it's the Vulcan way to do that pon farr thing every seven years, but you're still half-human. I've seen women, beautiful women, smart women, charming women that are interested in you. I'll be going away on a three-year mission in six months and I just want to see that you're taken care of, that's all."

"You and Becka discuss me?" Spock asked, amused and surprised.

"Sometimes at length, I don't think you understand how much my wife really does adore you. She's thinking about naming the bun in the oven after you," Brandon responded.

"She's going to name a loaf of bread after me, I suppose that is a compliment," Spock responded. Brandon chuckled.

"No, Becka's pregnant!" Brandon clamped down on Spock's shoulder in joy. Spock winced a bit.

"Congratulations," Spock responded stoically. It was quiet for only a moment until Brandon spoke again.

"Spock, seeing as the Kangaroo is almost jumping," Spock mentally laughed at Brandon's metaphor, "and that the USS Lincoln is going to be taking off soon, I just wanted to tell you all of this. I don't know if Vulcans have friends or whatever, but I just want you to know that you are my friend and I want you to… live deep and soak up all the marrow of life."

"And how do you propose I take action in this venture?" Spock queried.

"Find out her name… her full name, that's a start. I don't see how it could hurt anything. You got four years until you're on a five-year mission on the Enterprise. That gives you time, I know how slowly you work," Brandon smiled. Spock responded in a face that Brandon could only assume was the half-Vulcan's amused expression.

"Your words are under consideration," Spock said, turning to look Brandon fully in his blue eyes, "and I consider you a friend as well, Brandon." The Texan smiled fully and turned back to the computer to consider all of the options for the Kobayashi Maru.

"What's so fascinating about her anyway, Spock?" Brandon asked, wondering what this one woman could have over all the other women he'd seen interested in Spock over the last four years. Spock wanted to smile but his face so unaccustomed to the gesture that he couldn't physically accomplish the movement.

"Six years ago I saw a woman that looked like her in an Earth magazine that my brother, Sybok, showed me in the hidden confines of his room," Spock responded. Brandon's eyebrow hit the ceiling.

"_Playboy? _I can remember the issue, April, Stardate 2248. Yeah, her name was Nichelle, goddess if I do say so myself. Not my type, but still perfect," Brandon smiled.

"You have seen this picture?" Spock responded. Brandon laughed.

"Who'd have thought you, of all creatures in the universe, would have an ideal woman. That's pretty illogical, wouldn't you say," Brandon asked rhetorically and turned his attentions back to the task at hand.

Spock is quiet for a moment walking away from the window, contemplating how he could find out her complete name. He thinks that he should just ask her one day.


	8. Chapter 8

_Her Name_

Spock was sitting in the empty Linguistics Library, having left his silent room for more silence. It was the winter in San Francisco, and strangely, the Californian coastal city was experiencing a cold spell that was causing snow. He was surprised when he'd walked into the library to see the beautiful cadet he'd been mesmerized with sitting in a cone of silence. She was obviously studying, because her lips were moving in a strange flutter that looked to him to be Vulcan. He'd sat at a cushioned seat and was reading his research for Captain Pike, taking notes as he did. However, his mind was pulled involuntarily from his PADD back to the cadet studying in her small cone. He couldn't do anything but stare at her.

Spock watched as she moved her lips and shook her head in frustration. She bit her bottom lip and her eyebrows knitted and crinkled; she was obviously confused about something that she was studying. He liked watching her, the way her head dipped down and shook in strange agitation. He watched as she bit the inside of her cheek and swallowed. She was the most intriguing human woman he'd ever laid eyes on.

His eyes followed every movement of her full lips and it was but a moment until he noted that she was looking at him. His eyes left her lips and fell upon her eyes. Humans were intriguing; they had extra-sensory perception, especially when they felt as if they were being watched. He quickly dropped his eyes from her and back to his PADD.

It was only a moment of concentration on his notes, until his mind and his eyes were pulled back towards her. This time, he'd caught her watching him. As soon as she realized that he saw her staring at him, she dropped her eyes back to her work. This continued for a few moments, both of them locking eyes and then finding other things in the library that were more interesting.

The last time he was caught staring at her, he saw her smile up at him and then he saw her wave in his direction. Spock swallowed deeply, willing his blush to return to the depths of him and looked back down at his PADD. He didn't dare look up again.

Steps from her corner alerted him to the fact that she was indeed walking towards him with purpose. He looked up and then back down at his PADD. Within three steps she was standing directly in front of him, and he could smell a hint of rosemary in the air around him. He memorized this scent and would forever associate the herb with her.

"Commander, can you help me with this," he looked up to see brown eyes. His human mind wanted to call them beautiful, but his Vulcan mind simply noted that her eyes were brown. She held out her PADD to him and he perused the materials that she'd been studying. She was perplexed with Vulcan.

"I am sure that I can be of some assistance," he said. She sighed in something that Spock thought was relief and plopped down on the chair beside his.

"Good because, despite my fluency, I cannot seem to translate this as proficiently as I would like."

Spock read the phrase silently.

"Speak it for me," he said noting that his voice was low and slightly breathy. He was more than happy when she complied. Her pronunciation was flawless, yet her confusion ceded from the translation into Standard.

"I can speak it very well; I just don't understand why it doesn't feel right in Standard."

"You wouldn't. This is a stanza from a Vulcan poem, to be translated loosely. You're being too obtuse in your understanding, which is the reason for your confusion."

"Vulcans have poetry?" she asked.

"Yes. This particular poem was written by a great poet named T-Lya. This is considered the Terran equivalent of a love poem," Spock explained. Uhura blushed slightly. He liked her responses.

"Well, that makes more sense. I'm beginning to understand the translation much better now. You have been a great help," she responded. He noted a slight accent in her Standard. Her accent was indeed African; though from which part of the united continent he couldn't quite place.

"I am glad of that," Spock offered her PADD back to her and she took it, turning on her heel and starting to head back to her cone. She stopped and twisted her body back towards him.

"Hey," she said, Spock looked up, "would you mind quizzing me on some things?"

"Quizzing you?" Spock queried.

"I have a huge final tomorrow in Conversational Vulcan and I don't feel as prepared as I think I should," she responded embarrassed.

"You are quite proficient. Your pronunciation is beautiful; your accent is flawless…"

"Yes, but my comprehension and translation is flawed, especially when it comes to Vulcan. And since you're obviously Vulcan, what better tutor could I have?" she smiled fully. It was the smile that Spock knew he couldn't resist. She sat back down at the chair she'd previously occupied and he swallowed deeply, rosemary filling his nostrils. Spock instantly felt unease rising in his legs and travel to his stomach. He closed his eyes, regaining composure so quickly that Uhura didn't even notice.

"I will help you," Spock responded, not able to think about saying no.

"My name is Uhura, Nyota Uhura," she fought the urge to hold out her hand and shake his, she knew well enough about Vulcans that they didn't touch often, especially not shaking hands.

"My name is Spock," he responded. It was quiet as she sat her PADD back on the table; their eyes looking anywhere but directly at one another.

"I find it very unusual that a culture devoted to logic would invite such eccentricities as poetry," She commented.

"To be a poet upon Vulcan is to be much like the human equivalent of a spiritual leader, a Shaman of sorts."

"Shaman?"

"Yes. This particular poet, T-Lya, was a formidable researcher in the teachings of Surak. She inscribed many of her thoughts within the genre of poetry."

"Apparently, she also wrote romantic poetry," Uhura lifted an eyebrow.

"Indeed. This particular poem was written to her ashayam, or beloved," he responded.

"That seems very illogical, for Vulcans to allot such feelings, and to even allow them to be penned to words, especially poetry."

"Despite what humans may understand, Vulcans do have feelings, even romantic ones," Spock responded.

"Do they?" she asked, not condescendingly, but in the nature of a true researcher. Spock found himself consumed in this conversation. He found that his heart rate increased only slightly. She held her head straight with her hand on her chin, her right forefinger tapping her lips in question. Spock liked the way she regarded him, her deep brown eyes now staring intently into his.

"We do."

"That is… fascinating," she responded.

"T-Lya wrote over three thousand poems, more than half to her bonded. This particular one was written particularly about the physical aspects of that relationship," Spock said, swallowing deeply and lowering his eyes back to the PADD. He couldn't meet her questioning gaze.

"Physical aspects? You mean sex?" she asked and a small smile reached her lips. Spock memorized the way she said the word and the way her lips quirked upward.

"Not necessarily. For example in this passage:

_Perfume is my love to me; and he shall lie all night between my breasts._

_You are fair my love, you are fair; You have the eyes of the lara._

_Our bed is green, and you are fair._

_Your voice comes leaping upon the mountains and skipping upon the hills._

_Come away with me, you are mine and I am yours, Bonded._

She is speaking of her mate's physical features and how they spend their time."

"This is beautiful. I would have never been able to figure this out without your help. I never knew that your culture contained such exquisite words."

"I am glad to be of service," Spock responded.

"I am in your debt, Mr. Spock," she smiled and responded.

"Surely not," he said.

"Yes, of course I am. You have no idea how amazing it is to understand the culture at large. This is definitely something that my professor wouldn't even have known. Understanding the culture helps in comprehending the words. I was completely mistaken about the context; and now that I know that these words are not literal but more metaphoric and, strangely beautiful and…" Spock watched as Uhura searched for the word.

"Erotic," Spock finished her sentence.

"Yes!" she said louder than she intended, "Yes. A whole new understanding of the language has opened up for me. You should really be teaching this class."

"Commander Spikes is proficient in his lectures," Spock wanted to blush.

"Yes, but, who could be a better professor of their own language than a person of that culture. Truth be told, I've learned more in these last fifteen minutes with you, than I've learned in the last four months in my studies," Her face was unlike anything Spock had ever seen before. She was excited and smiling as if her mind had been blown in a good way. He felt something akin to bliss at watching her smile at him and because of him. He memorized her smile. He committed every small facet of her lips to memory. The way her full, bowed lips raised over her teeth, the way her cheeks crooked high on her even higher cheekbones, the way her smile lines outlined her smile. He especially loved her eyes, so brown and true and honest.

"It is respectable that I could be of some help," Spock said.

"You were more than helpful," She said, her smile still lighting up her face. She was turned completely towards him in her chair and her hands reached out of their own volition and grabbed his, not gripping too tightly, but holding his steady. He could feel the coolness of her skin and something inside of him stirred. He looked down at those offending hands and held back yet another blush. It was illogical for him to have such a physical response to her closeness. He noted that his gaze upon her hands made her slightly uncomfortable. She'd forgotten her manners and released his hands, ignoring the apology that he knew was somewhere on her lips. He wanted to scream that he didn't mind her touching him, but he looked away instead.

It was silent in the library, a strange silence, Spock noticed, that was pregnant with awkwardness.

"It's late, I should be going," she said, grabbing her PADD and pushing it into her bag. She stood from her place at the chair and gathered her things quickly. He looked up at her and stood, not understanding his actions. Instead of asking her to stay he simply nodded in agreement. Their eyes locked again and she smiled sheepishly and then walked passed him towards the door.

"Mr. Spock, it was fortuitous that we saw each other tonight," she said. He nodded again, not knowing how to respond to her. He saw her swallow and a blush rise to her face. She smiled closed-lipped at him and turned to walk towards the door. He heard the door close behind her and she was gone.

"Goodnight Nyota," Spock said her name to the silence of the library. He liked the way her name sounded on his lips. And despite all of his stoicism, he allowed the green blush he'd been holding all night to rise to his ears.


	9. Chapter 9

_A Date_

To the human eye Spock seemed calm, but to the discerning Vulcan gaze he would seem fidgety and nervous. He waiting in front of a small Sushi restaurant that he knew Uhura professed to be her favorite. The restaurant sat by the Pacific coast, the salty, cool air wafting into Spock's nostrils. He was dressed as a civilian, a clean, pressed pair of jeans and a blue shirt that his mother had gifted him with.

Both he and Uhura had been meeting over the past four months to discuss Vulcan culture and to speak with one another in Vulcan. This was the first time he'd dared to invite her to dinner outside of the mess hall, neither had even visited the other's rooms. Now Spock was watching the passerby's from the front of Koko Sushi, hoping to get a glimpse of Uhura's distinctive walk. He scanned every face, but didn't see her. He looked down at his watch, noting that she still have five minutes until their normal meeting time. He sighed quietly and continued to scan the crowd.

It was then that he saw her. It was like a slow dream the way the sun was setting to her left, the way her hips swayed in her dress. She was wearing yellow, Spock had never seen quite a color, but enjoyed the way it contrasted with her skin. The dress was short, but longer than the Starfleet uniform, the fabric was breezy and light as it caressed her slim thighs. She was wearing a small, white sweater to cover her arms, because this April night was quite cool and airy. Her hair was loose about her shoulders, and Spock could not believe that this beautiful woman walking to meet him at a restaurant.

She stopped her stroll up the pier to pet the head of a Golden Retriever that was currently being walked by its owner, but only for a minute. Again, she looked up as if she could feel his presence, and caught eyes with Spock. She smiled that beautiful, bright smile that always made Spock melt, and waved. She quickened her pace and within a few seconds she was standing in front of him.

"Hello Spock," she said, looking him over with what Spock hoped was appreciation.

"Hello Cadet Uhura," he said a bit uncomfortable with her closeness. She was wearing perfume for the occasion, but it in no way masked her perfect natural scent that was akin to rosemary.

"Call me Nyota. We're not on campus, and per your request, neither of us are in uniform. I suppose this is as informal as we could possibly get," she joked, but Spock noted something else in her eyes. The fleeting emotion that ran behind her eyes could have been just Spock's imagination.

"Shall we go inside, Nyota?" Spock asked. She nodded and he led the way, opening the door, and allowing her to enter first.

The inside of the restaurant was a simplistic as the outside. Spock could see why Uhura enjoyed the ambiance of the place. It wasn't showy or fancy, but the people were nice and the service was good. They were seated in a secluded corner of the restaurant, away from the excitement of the sushi bar, where many patrons were watching the sushi chefs quickly assemble the small bites of fish and making a ruckus. Their waitress was a small, Japanese lady who brought them menus and hot towels to wipe their hands.

"Do you like this place, Spock?" Uhura asked, noting that his eyes were wandering around the restaurant, taking in the mishmash of decorations.

"It suits you, so therefore I am please," Spock responded smoothly. Nyota sat up straight and smiled, taking his words as a compliment, which was how he meant them.

"I must say, I was extremely surprised when you asked me out tonight. I was expecting us to just go the Mess Hall and then the Library like we always do. But I am more than pleased at this venue to continue our tutoring," she spoke.

"I think you are mistaken. I do not wish to talk of school tonight," he saw a look of shock wash over her face.

"Oh," she said a bit disappointed, which caused disappointment to almost show on his face. Then she looked back up and the obviousness of the situation hit her like a ton of bricks. She looked at Spock, took in his slightly relaxed (relaxed for Spock) face and state of dress and her eyes widened and she blushed.

"Oh," she giggled, "well, Mr. Spock what do you wish to talk about."

"Anything that you wish to speak about," he responded. She looked at him daringly, thinking about what she wanted to converse with him about. It was at this moment that waitress decided to come by and take their order. Uhura ordered passion tea, beef negomaki, and spicy scallops. Spock ordered warm jasmine tea, edomame, and three pieces of white tuna. The waitress smiled warmly at both of them and placed two hot bowls of miso soup in front of them.

"Why did you choose to go to Starfleet instead of the Vulcan Science Academy?" she asked brazenly. Spock was impressed by her candor; most humans chose to walk around a subject instead of just asking point blank. He took a small sip of his miso soup.

"I was accepted into the Vulcan Science Academy, and I also applied at Starfleet, just in case I wasn't accepted," he responded.

"That's logical, of course," she responded, and sipped her soup as well, "but you didn't answer my question."

"I am going to have to tell you everything, I see."

"Is the question too personal?" she asked.

"As a Vulcan, almost every question is personal," Spock said. He saw that she laughed and couldn't believe that he'd just made a joke at his own expense. He finally felt at ease and she noted a small slump in his shoulders. The waitress brought back they're food and they began to eat.

"My father is Sarek, the Vulcan Ambassador to Earth, my mother is…" she stopped him.

"Your mother is Amanda Grayson, one of the leading researchers in Xenolinguistics. I'm writing a paper about her. So, you're only half-Vulcan?"

"Yes. When I was in front of the formal acceptance committee for the Vulcan Science Academy, the head administrator insulted my mother, so I declined acceptance into the Academy. My refusal caused a lot of… problems for my father."

"I would assume, with the life your father chose that he was accustomed to problems in his home world. So, you're a rebel. You are the equivalent of the Vulcan James Dean, how funny," she couldn't help the laughter that peeled from her lips. He watched her laugh and continued to eat his food. He noted the distinct and fresh flavor of the tuna, and decided that he much enjoyed this place as well.

"Why did you choose Starfleet?" Spock asked.

"I want to travel," was her answer.

"You could be any number of careers and still travel," Spock countered.

"I come from a family of nurses, teachers, doctors, engineers, none of those professions, albeit lucrative and interesting, make me shiver. The though to exploring new worlds, new cultures, new races and colonies, makes my heart burst with excitement," she spoke with uncontained glee.

"So any commission will do, just as long as you get to travel," he commented. She looked at him with narrowed eyes and Spock was at once worried that he'd offended her.

"Oh no, Spock, I will settle for nothing less than a commission on the Enterprise," she sipped her tea. Spock thought that ambition such as she had been an admirable human trait. He liked the way she wore her confidence, strong without being domineering, feminine without appearing weak, intelligent without being pretentious.

"I am stationed on the Enterprise," he said nonchalantly. He saw her interest peak.

"You are? How did I never know this?"

"I never told you. I am the CSO under Captain Pike."

"That explains why you're still here on campus instead of out on a mission. I bet you're doing so many interesting things for Captain Pike."

"I am actually working on a confidential project for Admiral Perry."

"Top Secret, huh, intriguing. You are a mystery," she smiled and took another bite of her spicy scallops. They ate in alternating silence and conversation for a few more minutes, laughter leaving her lips from time to time. They completed the meal much the same. Spock paid when the check came, pulled her chair out when she rose to stand. Helped her with her purse and her sweater, and opened the door for her as they exited the restaurant. By the time they were finished with everything, it was dusk. The sun was almost below the horizon of the vast ocean, turning the clear sky into a soft purple, allowing a glimpse of the waxing gibbon moon and newly twinkling stars.

"This is the part of day that I love best," she said, looking at him from her place by his side. The breeze rustled her hair.

"May I ask as to why?" he queried.

"It's neither day nor night. It's just a moment in between, where you get a glimpse of what was and what's to come," she looked up at him hopefully. He looked down at her; her eyes were deep and brown.

"Forgive me," Spock started, "but I have yet to compliment you on your appearance. Your state of dress is very aesthetically pleasing tonight." Spock's mouth was dry.

"Thank you. You look nice as well," her smile was radiant. They walked in silence along the pier, watching as the last bits of sunlight dipped low and day morphed into night. The tide was coming in and they could hear the waves crash against the sandy beach and roll back out again. She stopped and stopped next to her, watching the sight of the night waves.

"We do not have a moon on Vulcan," Spock said.

"Then what do you wish upon at night?" she asked, cheekily.

"Vulcans do not wish," Spock said bashfully. She stunningly reached a hand out to his and tentatively entangled her fingers into his. Spock stiffened at the touch and she almost pulled away, if he hand enclosed the rest of his hand over hers. She shifted in front of him, turning and locked her other hand in his, both of them facing one another.

"I think I know one Vulcan that does," she said, and stood up on her tip toes and touched her lips softly to his. It was a light kiss, but Spock could feel the rush of heat encompass her body. Her lips were cool and soft and slightly wet against his. Her pulse was elevated and he could hear her heart beating. She pulled back too soon by his accord and set herself down looking at him. The faint tinge of green on his cheeks and his eyes opening slowly was all the outward signs that she needed to know that he enjoyed the small kiss as much as she had. She turned and pulled him behind her, dragging them both back towards the campus. They walked in silence for most of the way.

"What is your favorite color, Spock?" she asked the silly question.

"Vulcans do not have favorites," he started, but before she could respond, he continued, "but I would say that I am partial to red. And you?"

"Green," she said. They were approaching her dorm very quickly. Within a few steps they were standing in front of the door.

"Thank you for joining me, tonight, Nyota. This was a most agreeable time."

"Yes it was. It would be wonderful if we did this again," she said, a bit shyer than she'd been earlier.

"Of course," he responded and saw her go back to the easy comfort that they'd fallen into. She leaned forward and kissed his lips again, this time not as soft, a bit more firm. He kissed her back and felt a sigh escape her. Again the moment was over too quickly. She pulled back and licked her lips, opening the door quickly behind her. Before she entered she turned and looked at him with her winning smile.

"Goodnight Spock," she said.

"Goodnight Nyota." She turned and walked into her dorm and Spock watched as she swayed down the hall until she disappeared.


	10. Chapter 10

_Two Birthdays_

Spock was standing outside of Uhura's dorm room waiting for entrance. When the door opened he was greeted by the cheerful Orion girl that he knew to be her friend. Gaila, he believed Uhura had said her name was.

"Well hello tall, dark and pointy-eared," Gaila said leaning against the doorway in a way that Spock knew most would find sexual, "you looking for Uhura?"

"Yes," he responded.

"She should be back in a few minutes. She went to download some periodicals from the library. Come on in," Gaila moved from the doorway and allowed him entrance. Spock had precious, little time to waste, but decided it polite to at least wait for Uhura. This was the first time he'd been in her quarters without her, and he found the sensation strange.

"I've been meaning to ask you, but just didn't have time to get around to it. Tomorrow is Uhura's birthday and we're planning a surprise party for her. I know you two spend a lot of time together, so I think she'd be happy if you came."

"That would be pleasing," Spock responded. Gaila smiled cheekily at his response.

"Good. So, be here around 2100 hours tomorrow night, that's usually the time that she shows up from her study group. We're going to go to that Sushi place that she loves and then we're having a bonfire party on the beach, swimsuits optional," Gaila winked and eye at him. The sound of the door chiming open stopped any comment that he was going to make.

"Spock, what are you doing here?" Uhura asked. He turned to look at her.

"I came here to inform you that I need to cancel tonight's meeting," he responded. She looked disappointed.

"Oh, why?" she asked, swallowing deeply.

"One of my friends has gone into labor," Spock responded. Uhura knitted her eyebrows together.

"Labor? She's having a baby?" Uhura asked.

"Yes. Her husband is on the USS Lincoln and her mother was not scheduled in until tomorrow, so I am the only person that she knows that can assist her," Spock, for him, sounded nervous.

"You look a little unnerved. You sure you want to do this alone?" Uhura asked.

"I will not be alone, I will be assisting her," Spock responded. Uhura put up her hand.

"I'll go with you," she said, and noted that Spock appeared relieved. He agreed with a nod and she grabbed her uniform jacket because the night was a bit cool and they left the room. As they walked, she looked at him.

"Where does she live?" Uhura asked.

"In the off-campus officer housing, we'll need to take a loan car to go pick her up," Spock responded. Uhura nodded and they were off to the loan car lot. When they arrive, Spock procured the keys to a smallish sedan and they both got in. It was only a few moments before they arrived at a small single family home and Spock rang the doorbell.

A blonde, pregnant, and heavily breathing woman answered the door and looked at Spock as if he were her savior. She hugged him and let him in the room.

"High, I'm Uhura," she said, not bothering to shake the woman's hand.

"I'm Becka. Oh, you're Uhura, yeah, I've heard a little about you. I'm Spock's ex-roommates wife. As you can see I'm very, very pregnant,"

"What is it that you need?" Spock asked.

"I need for you to go into my room and get the already packed bag and take me straight to the hospital. My water has already broken and I'm around ten minutes apart with my contractions." She said.

"Good, we don't have to get alarmed until you're around seven minutes, so we've gotten here on time," Uhura said. Spock returned from the back room with a suitcase and regarded Uhura strangely.

"I have three younger sisters; I've been thru this more than you know," She said, ushering Becka out of the house and towards the car. Becka sat in back seat, and Uhura pushed Spock and the bag in the back seat.

"Should I not drive?" Spock asked, feeling a bit like cattle.

"No, you are stronger than me, you should hold her hand, and she'll need it. I'll drive. Becka what hospital am I taking you to?" Uhura asked.

"General and step on it, sister," Becka responded. Uhura pressed the gas and they were off to the hospital faster than any ambulance could carry them.

"Oh Spock, I'm so glad that I could get a hold of you. I'm sorry about this, but my mother doesn't arrive until tomorrow. The baby is coming a day early."

"Great," Uhura started, trying to take Becka's mind from the pain," my birthday is tomorrow. I honestly believe that we need more Taureans in this world. April twenty-second is a wonderful time to be born."

"If my child acts anything like you, can win a Vulcan's heart the way you have, then I will be just fine," Becka said, squeezing Spock's hand with so much force that even with his Vulcan strength he wanted to wince.

"Are you alright?" Spock asked.

"I'm trying to squeeze a watermelon thru the eye of a needle, Spock, I'm not going to be alright until that happens," Becka joked.

"Just hold her hand until we get to the hospital," Uhura said.

They reached the hospital in record time and Becka was ushered in quickly. Strangely, Becka's mother had caught the last shuttle from Texas to San Francisco and made it there before the birth. Thanking Spock and Uhura for their help, she was ushered into the birthing room to tend to her daughter. Spock and Uhura were left in the hospital waiting room

"Being with you is full of surprises. Never a dull moment," Uhura said, taking Spock's hand in hers.

"This is not my doing. This is completely Brandon's doing," Spock said, Uhura could tell that it was joke. She smiled. It was quiet in the waiting room of the hospital, mechanical beeps staccato in both of their ears.

"Do you want children, Spock?"

"I have never thought of it as an option. On Vulcan, to sire children is a biological standard."

"But do you _want _children?" Uhura pressured.

"I believe that I do."

"I do as well," she grabbed his hand, a gesture that he was quickly becoming accustomed to. He liked her cool skin upon his.

"How many do you desire?" Spock asked.

"At least two, if not more," she responded.

"That is a very large family," Spock said.

"I come from a very large family."

"My family is small. I have a half-brother," Spock responded.

"You do?" Uhura said, turning to look him in the eyes.

"Yes, he is from an indiscretion my father had with a Vulcan princess during his Pon Farr. Sybok is a peculiar type of Vulcan."

"Peculiar?" Uhura asked.

"Yes, he doesn't subscribe to the teachings of Surak. He is quite… illogical," Spock responded. At that moment, Becka's doctor came out of the birthing room with a fruitful look on her face.

"It's a boy," the doctor said, and then walked away just as quickly as she'd arrived. Spock took Uhura's hand and walked towards the birthing room, entering and seeing Becka holding a small, bald-headed human being in her arms.

"This is Brandon Spock Andrew Willis," Becka said, looking quite tired and holding the small bundle out to Spock so that he could hold him. Spock took the small child in his arms, careful to cradle the head.

"You named him after Spock?" Uhura asked, looking down into the closed eyes of the baby.

"Yes, Brandon and I were in agreement. Spock is such a good friend that he deserved a commendation," Becka said, wiping a hand over her forehead, removing the sticky sweat that pooled there.

Uhura watched Spock cradle the child, he seemed completely at ease holding the baby and walked and rocked the child as the baby whispered a small coo. Uhura looked over at Becka and she was sleeping, her mind and body exhausted. Becka's mother was also sleeping in the extra chair in the room. The only sound in the room was Spock murmuring Vulcan to the small child and the tiny little whining that the baby emitted from its little mouth.

Little Brandon reached up, his eyes closed and grabbed at Spock's finger, the Vulcan allowed the child to clutch at his forefinger, and Uhura thought she saw a smile on Spock's lips. The nurse came into the room and took the baby from Spock for its feeding, and Spock seemed loathed to let the child go. Uhura and Spock locked eyes once the nurse had left the room.

"We should go," Spock said. Uhura nodded and they walked quickly from the room and out of the hospital and back to the car. When they arrived at the dorm room it was early in the morning, around 0200 hours. Uhura let out a small yawn and stretched in the passenger's seat of the car.

Spock parked the car in the loan lot and walked around to open the door for her. She stepped out and quickly, before he could protest, kissed him on the lips softly. She grabbed his hand and led him towards her dorm room, walking slowly and enjoying the breeze of the night air. Once they reached her dorm she turned and looked at him, still holding his hand and smiling.

"Brandon is a lucky man," Uhura said.

"Quite," Spock responded, "but I am fortunate as well."

"Why is that?" she asked, feeling his thumb slide over the palm of her hand slowly and sensually.

"Because I am the only one that has won your favor," he said. She smiled and leaned up to kiss him on the lips. This kiss wasn't tentative and innocent, but it wasn't passionate either. It was the perfect goodnight kiss, and when they both pulled away they were breathless.

"I think you would make a perfect father, Spock," she said. He nodded at this.

"Happy Birthday, Uhura," she responded. She cupped his cheek and allowed her thumb to run over the sensitive tip of his ear, feeling his temperature start to rise.

"You are the first to wish me happy birthday," she said.

"I want to always be in this position," he said. He leaned in and placed his forehead on hers. She leaned back after a moment, stepping up a step so that she was taller than him. She kissed his forehead from this advantage and then both of his eyes. She pulled away from him and walked away.

"Then always be the first," she said, and turned and entered her dorm room. Spock exhaled a breath that he didn't know that he'd been holding and swelled with masculine pride that Nyota was indeed his.


	11. Chapter 11

_Caught_

He had his arms around her thin waist, pulling her to him. They were up against the door to his quarters, which he had full intentions on opening, had she not kissed him in the way that he found pleasing. He felt her hands in his hair, mussing the neat cut and there was nothing that he could do to stop her from touching him in that sensitive spot. She was talented, whisking her tongue in and out of his mouth and teasing her thumbs around the receptive tips of his ears. They were so close that he could feel the beat of her heart in his lips. They'd been together for almost a year, and both were happy that the relationship had finally progressed to the physical. Spock enjoyed this "making out" very much.

He was sure that she could feel how hard he was between them as he leaned into her and nipped at her exposed neck. He involuntarily lowered his arms from her waist and to her hips, lifting her. She accepted the invitation and wrapped her long legs around his hips as he backed them towards the soft couch. He fell with a pliable thud and leaned back against the spongy cushions, allowing her to straddle him. She kissed the vein that was emerging in his neck and bit softly, eliciting a growl from him that was uncharacteristic, but not unwelcomed.

She started to grind her lower body against the erection that she felt so persistently between her thighs and kissed him deeply again, allowing their tongue to intertwine. He sucked her tongue, her eyes rolling back into her skull and she caressed his ears emphatically. She heard another groan, escaping from him or her, she knew not which and ground against him once again. His hand roamed from her hips, past her waist to her soft, round breast and cupped them and squeezed, letting her know that he was interested in everything that she offered him. His lips travelled up the column of her neck, lower, and he sucked at her clavicle.

"_Transmission from Vulcan, Grayson, Amanda," _the computer chimed. Spock's hands were quickly removed from her body and Uhura felt somewhat naked, though she was fully clothed.

"My mother," he said urgently and removed himself from her person. Uhura nodded, watching as Spock adjusted himself, still hard and desiring her, into some semblance of right. Uhura did the same, fixing the pieces of her ponytail that were awry, and pushing down her skirt.

"Open Communication," Spock said, looking as if he'd hadn't been kissing her at all. As soon as he accepted the transmission, the face of a woman popped upon the screen. The woman was obviously older, her hair graying at the temples and gentle crinkles forming against her honest eyes.

"How are you Spock?" Amanda said, seeing her son and smiling. Uhura tried to make herself busy in the background. The couch was exclusively open to the transmission communicator, so Uhura stepped into the kitchen.

"I am adequate, mother" Spock seemed to lie; Uhura knew that he was more than adequate, his pants tenting in a strange way. She watched as the erection slowly subsided.

"Your father has business on Earth in the next two weeks, meaning that we are going to be visiting the planet," Amanda said.

"This news is pleasing," Spock said his voice huskier than usual. Amanda noted the strange tremor in her son's voice and cocked an eyebrow. Uhura knew now where he got the strange facial expression from.

"Am I interrupting something, Spock?" She asked.

"Not at all," Spock responded somewhat coolly. Uhura made her way to the kitchen, knocking over a plate and a glass as she did. Uhura closed her eyes and waited for the repercussions.

"What is that noise" Amanda asked. Spock stilled and turned to look off screen.

"That is Cadet Uhura making a ruckus," Spock said, looking slightly at Uhura and slightly at his mother. Uhura reappeared on the couch, looking at distinctive and familiar brown eyes.

"Hi," Uhura said. Amanda's face turned from that of concern to that of amusement.

"Hello Miss Uhura," Amanda said, her voice betraying all innocence of the situation.

"Cadet Uhura is the student that I've been tutoring in Vulcan, mother. She is currently formulating a paper about your research," Spock tried to smooth. Amanda was having none of it. As his mother, she knew the green flush and the slightly hazy eyes of a Vulcan that had previously been involved in hanky-panky with a beautiful woman. Amanda could remember fondly being that girl. Amanda had seen it before in a way that was all too familiar. Spock's voice was deep and hazy, his eyes lidded, and for once he looked relaxed. Amanda was at once upset and slightly embarrassed that she'd rang in the middle of whatever it was that she and the beautiful Cadet were up to.

"Tutoring? I didn't know that your Commander duties included tutoring, Spock," Amanda said.

"They generally do not, but I have made an exception."

"I see that you have," Amanda commented, her voice one of a nosy mother ready to pry into the situation completely since she'd already ruined the mood. Spock was not entirely comfortable with this situation. He could hear the knowing lilt to his mother's tone and was waiting for the metaphorical shoe to drop, as human's said.

"Is there anything else that you wish to discuss, mother?" Spock sounded quite worried.

"Are you in such a rush to get back to your _tutoring_ that you can't talk to your mother for a bit longer, Spock?" Amanda knew that she was being cheeky and quite the annoying mother, but it was her prerogative.

"I suppose since we're already interrupted," Spock trailed off. Uhura was not sure she'd ever heard Spock's voice trail off. It was quite amusing to see Spock annoyed and slightly sexually frustrated.

"I suppose I have interrupted your tutoring session far enough. I will be in touch about the details of me and your father's visit. It was nice to meet you Cadet Uhura. Have a wonderful night you two," Amanda's face disappeared from the screen.

"Your mother is quite a woman," Uhura responded, putting her hand on Spock's thigh. He looked down at her hand and she could see the smoldering lust rising in his deep brown eyes.

"As are you," his voice was deep, as he covered his hand over hers, lifting the small digits to his lips and kissing them. Uhura smiled in spite of herself.

"You are incorrigible, I cannot believe that you want to go back to our tutoring, as your mother called it," she leaned in and kissed him on the lips and felt his hands at her hips once again, trying to pull her on top of him. He kissed down the column of her neck.

"I could set up habitation on this spot of your neck," he accentuated his words with a small nip. She sighed and moaned lowly.

"I need to study, Spock, as much as I am enjoying this."

"If I can remember correctly, you started this," he joked, his hands rising from her hips to encircle her back and then back down to her hips, holding her over his erection. She wrapped her hands around the back of his head and stroked his ears, letting her nails whisk over the sensitive tips. A shudder and a deep moan resonated from his throat, and she felt his covered erection grow harder against the inside of her thigh.

"I never should have introduced you to making out, you're insatiable," she smiled and kissed him, grinding her hips against him. They continued much like this for a few minutes, until Spock got extremely frustrated and pushed Uhura down onto the sofa, placing him between her thighs and pulling her long legs around his hips. Their breathing was in sync and Uhura wasn't sure she'd heard him quite make these particular sounds before.

"I hate to interrupt, dear" Spock and Uhura froze. The sound of Amanda's voice filled both of their senses. Spock turned almost the color of an olive and felt as if his mouth was dry. Both of them turned slowly towards the communicator screen and saw the face of Spock's mother. Spock mentally kicked himself for forgetting to tell the computer to close the communication link.

"Tell me this isn't happening," Uhura whispered.

"You forgot to close the communication link, Spock. I would suggest that you remember in the future," Amanda responded cheekily, trying her best to sound stern but failing miserably.

"I will definitely remember to do that in the future," Spock said, slowly sitting up and straightening his clothes. Uhura did the same.

"Once again, I cannot wait to meet you Miss Uhura, we have so much to discuss… about Xenolinguistics. Goodnight Spock, Miss Uhura. And Spock, please do not forget to end the communication link, so as to avoid anymore awkward moments. You had better be glad that I was not your father," Amanda warned. Amanda closed the visual communication on her side and disappeared.

"Computer, close communication link _Home_," Spock said just as quickly as his mother disappeared from the screen.

"Well, at least we weren't naked," Uhura responded, breaking the deep silence, knowing that they're relationship hadn't progressed to that level as of yet.

"I know how to make sure that doesn't ever happen again," Spock said his voice a little hoarse.

"Remembering to sever the links completely instead of having our hormones get the best of us?" Uhura responded.

"No, I suggest that if we endeavor to continue in this regard, that all physical exploration be done in the privacy of the bedroom," Spock almost smiled at his own genius.


	12. Chapter 12

_Argument_

The room was quiet, as they had become accustomed to being together in silence. Today they were seated on the infamous couch both of them studying quietly and diligently.

Uhura was studying, but unlike Spock, found it quite difficult to completely concentrate on her studies when Spock was so close. Her legs were in his lap, and he was comfortably leaned with his back against the couch, his PADD in his hands and his eyes moving over the work. She watched him intently, as his slight facial expressions told the level of comprehension he experienced with every sentence. She always found watching Spock to be a sensual experiences; she loved the way he moved.

Spock's small twitches of the eyebrow upward and the slight crinkling of his nose, told Uhura that he was having a particularly hard time with one of the concepts of his PADD. She also watched as he raised his right forefinger to his lips and ran a sharp tooth across the nail. He then yanked the nail from his hand and bit it between his teeth, the nail sticking to his tongue a foreign object to that portion of his body. He, in an attempt to remove the offending nail form his tongue, opened his mouth and spat quietly, flicking the insulting item somewhere across the room from them. Uhura was instantly intrigued and disgusted. She watched as Spock repeated this series of actions on his left hand and realized that she was just disgusted.

"Spock, don't bite your fingernails," she said. He turned and looked at her, removing his finger from his mouth.

"Was this bothering you, Nyota?" Spock asked.

"It's an unhealthy habit, keeping your fingers in your mouth like that. It's dirty, almost like smoking," Uhura responded.

"I was merely manifesting the perplexity I was experiencing because of a concept that I was studying on my PADD."

"Are you nervous, Spock?" Uhura pushed.

"Vulcans do not get nervous."

"You're obviously nervous about something."

"As I said, I was conf…" Spock started and Uhura waved him off, her eyes suddenly seething. She started moving quickly, packing up her things, grabbing her bag and her shoes and making a hasty exit. Spock stood just as quickly and followed her around the couch.

"Are you upset with me, Nyota?" Spock asked.

"How are we ever going to make sense, if you cannot even trust me enough to tell me that you're experiencing something as normal as nervousness," Uhura turned, her lips moving faster than her mind was thinking. She blurted out the words without any regard to her approach. The room fell silent so quickly, and they just stared at one another.

Spock didn't like the way she was looking at him. He didn't like seeing the tears threaten at the corners of her eyes. He didn't like the tensions he felt rising around them, though neither of them said anything. There was a crack in the room and he was standing on one side of the divide and she on the other. He wouldn't accept that visual. Spock quickly crossed the room.

"I do not understand, Nyota. You must explain to me," he said as he walked towards her.

"I want for you to tell me how you feel, when you feel it. I want you to feel like me, Spock, or at least trust me enough to tell me when you feel something," she looked down at her feet. He swallowed her words down his throat, feeling a bitter taste rise like bile in his mouth.

"You're asking me to do something that I cannot do," Spock saw the rift widen. Uhura's eyes were no longer wet; her tears stopping and swallowed mysteriously back into her eyes. He saw anger rise like steam from her body, he felt her pace quicken.

"You can't or you _won't_?" Uhura asked through clenched teeth.

"Nyota, you know that the expression of emotion for a Vulcan is… complex," Spock stood stock-straight, his hands behind his back. Nyota knew this stance, this was the Spock that had retreated to professor and Commander; this Spock was confident.

"That's a very good word choice, Mr. Spock. Complex covers all manner of sins," Uhura spouted sarcastically.

"I do not understand human sarcasm, though I can recognize it when it is utilized."

"I know you do. Ironic, you can identify human emotion, but you refuse to understand it, so much so that you cannot even understand why I'm upset."

"You are correct, I do not comprehend the reasons for your scorn, Nyota," Spock said the words tight lipped. Uhura turned around and walked towards Spock.

"You never will be able to understand, and that's the problem. You won't be able to feel me. You can read me and logically deduce a proper way to assist me, but you will never be able to comfort me, not in the way that I need" she crossed behind him, walking back towards the center of the room. Her back turned to him; she wasn't able to see how her words deflated him. She wasn't able to see how his shoulder's slumped and how her words seemed to knock the breath from his body.

"Do I not please you now?" Spock asked, his voice low and stoic, though a tinge of vulnerability hung under the tone. Their backs were to one another. She swallowed and turned towards him and walked to wrap her arms around his back; she felt him exhale.

"Spock, you please me," she whispered. He could feel the wetness of her tears against his back. He lifted his hand to cover the one that was wrapped around his chest.

"Then why this outburst?" Spock asked, turning in her arms and wrapping an arm around her waist.

"You parents will be here in three days and we haven't spoken about it or anything. You aren't nervous?"

"I do not experience…"

"Spock, I need to know what you are thinking about all of this. Please," she begged. He released his hands from her waist and turned, his hands hitting his sides.

"I have avoided the matter until now," Spock responded, turning back around and looking at her. Her hands rose to her hips. Spock deduced that she wasn't happy with his response.

"That's perfect! Meeting your parents is important, Spock. And you mean to tell me that you haven't even thought about it! Were you even going to introduce me to your father? To your mother, so that she can know that I'm more than just the slutty girl making out with her son?" Uhura raised her voice.

"Your moral character should not be in question. Your honor is still in tact…"

"Spock! Focus! I'm a wreck, can't you see that? And you just sit there not feeling anything while I'm a nervous wreck!"

"I do not know what you want me to do, Nyota," _Please show me, _was how he finished the sentence in his head. However, he didn't allow the last three words to leave his mouth. He saw her slipping away from him as she looked away from him and to the ceiling. She sighed and swallowed deeply.

"I know you don't, and you may never know. I just need to figure out if I can handle that," she stepped towards him and up on her tip-toes. She gave him a kiss on the cheek goodnight, and walked quickly passed him. He heard her exit, and he didn't turn around.

It was quiet and Spock realized that this silence was completely different form the silence that his quarters held before. This silence was melancholy, and in this silence Spock felt lonely. He could still smell the lingering of her scent, rosemary. And even though she'd left him alone before, she'd never left like this.

He should have told her that he was nervous. He should have told her that he enjoyed knowing that she watched him. He should have told her that when he was biting his nails he was thinking about introducing her to his mother. He was a logical being, and seeing as Nyota was so nervous about the situation, he knew that he shouldn't add on to her worries by explaining to her his own anxieties. It was only logical to not add fuel to the fire.

Now with her absence so acute, he wished he'd chosen his heart over his head.


	13. Chapter 13

_Meet the Parents_

Spock saw his mother long before he heard the shriek of excitement that escaped her lips. It really wasn't a shriek, it was more of a small vocal blaze, but to most Vulcans it was considered a shriek. He saw her pace quicken and it was but a moment until she was standing in front of him, Sarek at her heels. She took his hands in hers, which was their custom, and stood upon her tip-toes and kissed him on both cheeks, which was also their custom.

"Oh Spock, you look so grown up," Amanda said. Spock nodded his head and Sarek nodded back as was the Vulcan custom. Amanda craned her neck around Spock and noted a familiar, small frame standing behind him, Cadet Uhura. Amanda saw that the girl was obviously timid, more so that Amanda remembered her being. Then again, it was wrong to judge someone from a brief and unfortunate encounter by vid-phone. Amanda smiled warmly at the girl and then looked at Spock.

"Mother, father, this is Cadet Uhura, she is one of Starfleet's best Communication cadets," Spock introduced her formally. Uhura stepped from behind Spock and allowed her to be introduced. Spock, despite trying to hide both he and Uhura's relationship, placed his hand at the small of her back while introducing her. Amanda noted as did Sarek, but neither made an outward appearance of recognition.

"It is good to finally meet you Cadet Uhura," Amanda said, taking the nervous hands of Uhura into her own warm ones. Uhura instantly calmed, feeling the warmth so evidently running from Amanda to her.

"As it is to meet you, both of you," Uhura inclined her head and responded in flawless Vulcan.

"I see those tutoring sessions have paid off," Amanda responded, "your Vulcan is flawless. It's even better than mine. My son is a good teacher then." Uhura and Spock almost choked.

"Uhura also teaches me some things as well, mother," Spock responded. Amanda smiled loving at her son and then mischievously.

"I am sure she does," Amanda grabbed Uhura's hand and led them both towards the campus, leaving Sarek and Spock behind.

"She is quite an aesthetically pleasing human, Spock," Sarek responded. Spock looked at his father with what a Vulcan would call shock, both eyebrows raised and eyes almost ablaze.

"Cadet Uhura is a stellar student," Spock responded.

"Remember, son, I am one that is susceptible to the charms of the human female. They can be…" Sarek searched for the word as he watched Amanda walk arm in arm with Uhura.

"Persuasive," Spock finished his father's sentence. Both Vulcans regarded one another with awkward looks. Sarek began to walk slowly; Spock fell into pace right next to his father. Both men strolled with impeccable posture, hands behind their backs and heads held high.

"Has she persuaded you, son?" Sarek asked, not looking at Spock.

"Persuaded is a vague verb," Spock responded, evading the question.

"It is obvious to everyone but apparently you and Cadet Uhura that both of you are a collective. I just meant to ask if you and she have bonded," Sarek responded. Spock stopped short and looked at his father with a human response, nervousness.

"As you know I am committed to T'Pring," Spock reminded his father.

"Then you better discuss it with Cadet Uhura. If I remember correctly, human females do not agree with the Vulcan ways of love and marriage. Your mother on many occasions, long before you were born, called it archaic and dull. In the end, I was loathed to agree with her," Sarek said with almost a nostalgic look to his eyes.

"How did you explain it to mother," Spock asked, dropping all pretense.

"Very carefully. The human female is a very emotional being. It is the hormone estrogen that makes them so demonstrative, though it also makes them quite…" Sarek again searched for a word. Spock caught Uhura staring at him from over her shoulder and smoldered.

"Fascinating," Spock responded. Sarek nodded in agreement.

"You must also discuss this with her before you enter Pon Farr, Spock. It is only fair that you talk with her," Sarek and Spock walked close enough to Uhura and Amanda to hear a bit of their conversation. Both of them being Vulcans, found it quite easy to eavesdrop on the conversation.

"I must admit I was very embarrassed to meet you," Uhura responded in truth.

"Don't be embarrassed. You do not know the unparalleled joy I had when I saw my son and you in that very… tender moment. I'd never really seen Spock open up so much in my life. It was good to see that there was a small part of me in him. I like you, Uhura. Simply because I know that my son would not find a woman that is vapid or just simply beautiful, he would seek to possess all of those things, and he has in you. You remind me of myself, and I cannot thank you enough for being my son's friend and his lover," Amanda said.

"We're not lovers," Uhura said sheepishly.

"You will be and soon," Amanda responded, "Vulcans are slow. They live longer than we do and therefore do not see the logic in rushing anything, especially the important things. Spock may be different, being half human, but he's his father's son and therefore stubborn and bound to Vulcan dignity and that sense of logic. But he adores you, I can see it." Uhura smiled at this and looked over her shoulder at Spock who regarded her coolly but with eyes of smoldering desire. She smirked at him. He smirked back in his Vulcan way.

"What are they talking about? I wonder," Uhura stated.

"Us, their human women and how much they don't really understand, because we are illogical, emotional beings. They're also probably listening to our conversation," At this Amanda grabbed Uhura's hand and moved them closer towards the campus and out of pointy-eared hearing. Sarek shook his head.

"It amazes me how well she knows me after all of these years," Spock saw something in his father's eyes that was always suspected but never confirmed. Spock saw a glimmer of love in his father's eyes.

Later that night Spock and Uhura were sitting in his quarters enjoying tea and reading various things from their respective PADDS. Her feet were in his lap as was her custom, and he was haphazardly stroking her leg, she noted that his hand was going higher and higher towards her thigh. She snuggled down towards him to give him better access. His hand past her knee and he stopped and turned to look at Uhura over his PADD. She looked at him and flashed him a flirty smile.

"My mother likes you," He said.

"I know, she's said as much," she put down her PADD and turned all of her attention to him.

"I need to talk with you about something, Nyota," Spock started. His brow was serious, and she sat up, pulling her legs from his lap and curling them underneath her body.

"What is it, Spock?" Uhura asked. She studied his face and realized that he was searching for the perfect words to tell whatever was on his mind. She was silent and waited for him to finally land on the best way.

"Nyota," he started, "when I was younger, being raised on Vulcan, I was betrothed to a Vulcan female."

"You're engaged?"

"Her name is T'Pring," Spock lowered his head, feeling a shred of shame. Uhura processed what he'd just said and the day that she'd had. She remembered what Amanda had said. Surely Amanda had been in very much the same predicament as this with Sarek. Uhura did something unprecedented, she shrugged, eased her body slowly across the couch and into Spock's lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him in for a soft kiss. He pulled her in closely so that she was straddling his hips and touched their foreheads together.

"I love you, Spock" she felt an indrawn breath of release from him and also felt him relax.

"You are not angry with me for keeping this from you?" Spock asked.

"You told me, it's out in the open."

"What do you propose that we do?" Spock asked. Uhura cupped his face in her hands and smirked at him.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Spock had never heard that idiom before, but he decided that he liked it. The metaphor was simplistic, the mental picture calming: he and Uhura were walking a small path in the woods, holding hands. In the distance he could see that they were coming towards a very narrow and high bridge, some of the planks missing. Inside he started to panic, devising ways to allow them to cross the bridge. And Nyota, always aware of his emotions, squeezes his hand and just continues to stroll towards the bridge, pulling him back into the current, the now.

They would reach that bridge eventually, but now they were together and that was all that mattered.


	14. Chapter 14

Gaila was surprised when she received a beep at the door; she wasn't expecting any company. Gaila asked that the computer to identify her visitor. The Orion was even more shocked when the computer identified the visitor as Spock. Gaila pulled on a robe and answered quickly.

"What are you doing here? You know that Nyota is out of town at the Linguist conference," Gaila said, eyeing the straight-backed man warily. This was weird. It wasn't every day that handsome Vulcans came to her door, especially handsome Vulcans that were in a relationship with her roommate and best friend.

"I am aware of Nyota's whereabouts. I have actually come to speak with you," Spock responded coolly.

"Come on in," Gaila said, her tone indicating that she thought this whole situation strange. Spock entered, placing his hands behind his back and stepping past Gaila into the room.

"I am here to speak with you about my relationship with Nyota," Spock started. Gaila quirked an eyebrow.

"Ok?" she encouraged him to continue.

"I wish to increase the amount of intimacy between us," Spock phrased the words delicately. Gaila started to laugh so hard that she almost snorted.

"You want to have sex with her?" Gaila asked, getting her giggles in check.

"Yes."

"Praise the stars. I thought this would never happen," Gaila responded. Spock regarded Gaila strangely.

"Did you not think me capable of engaging in intercourse?" Spock asks.

"You and Nyota have been in this relationship for almost a year, and from what she's told me, you are most definitely capable," Gaila ran her eyes up and down Spock's sinewy frame, letting her eyes linger on his crouch, arching and eyebrow and then back up to his eyes. Spock had never felt so exposed, and he started to blush slightly.

"Is it common for females to discuss these intimate moments with friends?" Spock asked.

"Yeah, so you've come to the right place. What do you want to know?" Gaila asked, plopping onto her bed and motioning for Spock to have a seat in a desk chair across the room. She may be Orion and he may be a handsome Vulcan asking her about sex advice, but Spock was her best friend's man and that would be completely wrong.

"I have been researching the sexual habits of humans and my research has come back somewhat skewed," Spock started.

"Skewed?" Gaila asked.

"There are so many different ways and habits that I am unsure of which method is traditional." Gaila had never seen a Vulcan squirm. She at once understood what Nyota found endearing.

"You want to know how to please her."

"Yes."

"You do please her. I cannot tell you how great it's been living with her since you've come into her life. She's as light as air, all the time. That's not to say that she hasn't been frustrated."

"Frustrated, how so?"

"Despite all of her reservations and poise, Uhura is a dirty little girl. There are things that she would love to do to you and vice-versa. She just loves you and wants for you to be comfortable about everything when it happens. She's basically waiting for a sign from you."

"A sign?"

"Yeah, a sign that says that you're okay with moving things forward."

"How do I endeavor to give her a sign?" Spock asked. Gaila stopped short. Spock was an Alpha male in ever sense of the word, but for some reason he was acting like a confused little puppy. Gaila rolled her eyes and started from the beginning.

"Simple, what do you _want _to do to her?" Gaila asked, and was surprised at the facial expression that this question received. Spock was silent as he thought about all the fantasies he'd had about Uhura over the past two days that she'd been gone. He wanted to touch her, he wanted to see her naked, he wanted to kiss every inch of her body; he wanted her to scream his name. Gaila recognized that glazed over look of lust in any man. She smiled widely.

"Many things, but above all I just want her to be happy. I want…" Spock couldn't find the word. Gaila realized that this was hard for him and put up a hand to stop him.

"Ok, here's the deal. She's just as nervous about the whole thing as you are. Just follow your heart, Spock. When the time comes, you'll know. I promise that you'll know."

"My predicament lies in the fact that she's had sexual intercourse before and that I have not." Gaila mouthed a wide 'O' and then exhaled, biting her bottom lip as the air passed over them.

"There is no art or mystery to it, Spock. As you've researched, it's pretty simple, insert tab A into slot B, easy," Gaila stood and crossed the room to Spock and took his hands in hers, "She loves you, you pointy-eared horned dog."

"I do not want to ruin things between us."

"Mr. Spock, you are an intelligent, oddly charming, and resourceful young Vulcan. I'm pretty sure you won't ruin anything, especially from what Uhura tells me about your kissing. All the rest of the pointers are gained with experience. I can't map out the whole act with you. It's like anything else, just be yourself and you'll be fine."

Spock seemed a bit more reassured when Gaila walked him towards her door. Uhura would be back later that night and Gaila smiled knowing that her roommate wouldn't be back until the morning.

Spock told the computer to open the door to his quarters, he knew it was Nyota and was anxious to see her return. It was late, around 22:00 hours, but the next day was a Saturday and neither of them had anything to do.

"Hi," Nyota said with a reassuring smile. She was still carrying her bag from her trip to the conference. She looked nice in her civilian clothes. She was wearing a pair of worn jeans that were ripped at the knee, flip-flops, and a small t-shirt that she'd picked up from the linguistics conference. He was in his meditation robes, a small black undershirt, and pair of thin, loose-fitting pants that he usually slept in.

"Hello Nyota," Spock felt his mouth go dry.

"I know it's late, I just wanted to come by and say that I missed you," Uhura said, stepping into his quarters but not setting down her bag. The door closed behind her. Spock crossed the room so quickly that Nyota didn't even know what hit her. He was pressed against her and kissing her passionately. She had never felt this much passion come from Spock before, but after momentary shock set in, she returned his kisses fervently.

"I missed you too," he said, backing them towards the couch. The backs of her knees hit the small couch and she fell backwards, him on top of her, with a small, soft thud. She could feel his warmth thru his meditation robes, and instantly got aroused.

She was holding back, he could feel that much from her, she wasn't sure where this instance of intimacy was taking them. Spock decided to try giving her a sign. He removed his meditation robe and let it fall to the floor, and then removed quickly his undershirt. He heard a small gasp as his shirt hit the floor and pulled away to see Nyota's eyes running desirously over his lean muscles. He felt her hands trace from his shoulders and then down his arms and then the front of his chest, pausing only slightly at his flat nipples, and then down over this toned stomach. He was painfully aroused, as Nyota could see his erection tenting the thin night trousers that he had on.

Nyota stepped from the couch and followed suit, removing her t-shirt and discarding it somewhere around the living room floor, and then removing her white bra, revealing modest breasts. Spock watched her like a hawk watching its prey. His eyes quickly went from nervous to lustful and he pulled her towards him by her waist and kissed her softly, her hard nipple pressing against his scorching chest. She was cool to the touch and he shuddered as their bodies pressed against one another, flesh against flesh.

Uhura pulled away, took his hand, and silently led him towards the bedroom.

"Is this what you want, Spock?" Uhura asked. He nodded quietly, and she pushed him backward onto the bed. He lay down as he was beckoned to do and she got on top of him, straddling his hips and pinioning him to the bed. She kissed the top of his forehead, his eyes, his nose, and subtly his lips. She lowered her kisses down his neck and heard him gasp. She flicked her tongue out to his nipple and that elicited a small moan, so she took the initiative and let her teeth graze over the small bud, building it into a hardened peak, and then repeated the same attention to the other nipple.

She could see that his eyes were closed and could feel his heartbeat on his side and she dipped her tongue into his navel. She adjusted herself so that she was sitting to the side of him, and started to slowly pull his pants down past his narrow hips. She was surprised to see that Spock slept without any underwear on, evident by the fact that his erection sprang free once his pants had reached a point past his mid thighs. She discarded the pants and gave his body a lingering once over.

"I am a lucky girl," Uhura said, taking his hard length in her hand and squeezing, she saw his grip tighten against the cover on his bed. She held his penis in her hand and noted some of the small differences, he was larger than she was used to, and the head was bulbous and, of course, green from the blood that coursed through it. The shaft was smooth and much like the human male had a long vein that ran along its length. She started to stroke him and then lowered her head taking just the tip of him into her mouth. A long, low, growl was her reward, and she proceeded to swallow him whole, almost down her throat and then back up again with an audible pop. She continued like this for a few moments, until she felt the tell-tale tightening of his balls and then felt him release into her mouth, with a strangled, breathy grunt. He tasted salty and the consistency wasn't as thick as she was used to with her prior lovers. She swallowed him down and then sat up on the bed, staring down at him. He opened his eyes and she noted that he looked a lot more relaxed than he'd ever looked.

"Nyota," he said her named breathily, and then reached out his hands pulling her in to kiss him, tasting himself on her tongue. He pulled her body into his and she laid her head on his chest, resting for moment, allowing him to relish the afterglow. She started to giggle softly.

"Was that amusing?" he asked, the question was rhetorical, she could tell by the sarcastic lilt to his tone.

"You have an amazing body, Spock," she said and let her hand wander over the hard plains of his stomach. He twitched, and Uhura decided to lock in her mind the spot where his hips joined his lower torso at the bone as a place where he was ticklish.

"The sentiments are returned in full," he responded. It was quiet as they listened to one another's breathing.

"I want to make love to you," Spock started. Uhura sat up on her elbow and looked down at very worried eyes. The eyes screamed to Nyota what Spock hadn't added to the end of that sentence _but I don't know how._

"Then kiss me, everywhere and don't stop until I scream your name," Uhura responded.

Spock was good at taking orders, especially of this caliber. He kissed her lips and used a minimal amount of strength to get her onto her back and underneath him. He started with her lips again and then worked his way down to her neck, sucking and swirling his tongue into the hollow. She gasped softly. He kissed her clavicle and lower down towards her breast. He cupped the left breast in his hand and ran his thumb over the already hardened nipple. Uhura arched her back into his touch and he found that he quite enjoyed seeing her do that. He pinched the nipple and heard a small moan escape her lips. He lowered his mouth to her coffee-colored nipples and sucked, mesmerized by the squirming her body did. He was amazed at her reaction, and at how fast his cock had grown hard again.

He moved quickly down her body, dipping his tongue into her navel, and undoing her jeans, pushing them and her underwear down her hips and off onto the floor. She was so wet and waiting for him, and he could smell her scent that was akin to rosemary so fully in the air. He leaned his head down and smelled her. He kissed her hip bones and moving closer to her center, he kissed the inside of her thighs. He knew exactly what he wished to do. He had to taste her; this was an instinct that was driving him strongly. He stood from the bed, pulled her by her thighs to the edge of it, and kneeled in front of her, pushing her legs farther open he buried his face into her wet and waiting entrance.

He flicked his tongue over the sensitive bundle of nerves and tasted her. He heard a loud gasp escape her lips, and saw that she scrunched the covers between her hands. He flicked his tongue out again and continued to do so.

"Yes," she said aloud, and he felt her hands come out to his head, holding where she wanted him the most. Her fingernails grazed over the back of his neck and over the tips of his ears. She started to thrusts her hips upward towards him, so he wrapped his arms around her thighs and held her steady. He pulled his mouth away from her and studied her, amazed by the very center of her. He started to use his fingers to work her, moving in and out slowly at first. She started again to thrusts her hips. She was wet, and strangely warm, and so slick and tight against his fingers. Her back started to arch and she came around his fingers.

"Spock," she said when her orgasm subsided, "I want you inside of me, now." Uhura was desperate, pulling him up from the bed so that he was seated between her legs. She could feel his hardness against her inner thigh. She pushed him onto his back and straddled his legs, resting his cock just in front of her entrance.

"This is your first time with a woman?" Uhura asked. Spock nodded in response. She sat up on her knees, grasped him in her hand and lowered herself slowly onto him, watching his facial expression change. His eyes went from wide with the shock of entering her, to hazy with a feel of comfort. As she sank onto him, she watched as his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he closed them tightly. He was completely sheathed inside of her when she started to move agonizingly slow.

"Look at me, Spock," she said, taking his hands in hers and resting them on her hips. Spock's eyes shot open and she ground her hips against him. She memorized this look of pleasure on his face and smiled down at him, lowering her head to kiss him. She continued to move agonizingly slowly until she heard Spock panting, and then she sped up her movements.

"Nyota, Nyota, Nyota," he repeated her name over and over, grinding his teeth and clutching at her hips tightly. There would definitely be a bruise later.

In the flash of a moment she was caught unawares as she was picked up and turned over, neither of them parting one another. He was on top of her, and he was thrusting into her forcefully and quickly. He grabbed her hands and put them above her head, interlocking their fingers as he thrusts into her deeply. He kissed her, and continued to thrust.

Both of them were moaning madly as he quickened the pace. They were both close. He lifted her parted legs higher onto his back, his hips convulsing wildly.

"Yes… right there… oh… oh… Spock!" she moaned his name in one long syllable and he felt her squeeze and convulse around his member. This was enough to push him over the edge. He lowered his head to her neck and thrust a few more times, biting down onto her shoulder as he spilled himself inside of her.

The only sound in the room was their breathing. They lay in silence until their heartbeats slowed. Spock started to move, and slowly slipped out of her with a hint of protest. He rolled onto his side and she stretched her legs down and then curled into him, tucking her head into the nook between his shoulder and neck.

"I was not expecting this when I came to visit you tonight," Uhura said after a few moments of afterglow and silence. Spock quirked an eyebrow and smiled an honest to goodness human smile. Nyota memorized this smile. It was almost miraculous to behold. His eyes were relaxed and squinted, crinkled at the sides. His lips pulled up fully at the sides revealing smile lines and an even stronger jaw-line than Uhura remembered. His hair was mussed and sticking out in odd angles, and his whole body was flushed green like an olive, the tips of his ears bearing the most color.

"I am full of surprises," Spock responded playfully.

"Why tonight?" Uhura asked. Spock's face faded back to that of its normal expression.

"I've been thinking about this moment for a long time. I finally decided to act on my thoughts. I care for you deeply, Nyota. I wanted to show you how much I care for you."

"I love you, too, Spock," Uhura said, knowing that this was probably as close to his profession of love that she was going to hear. She kissed him on the lips and then curled into him. A yawn escaped his mouth, and he began to slowly drift off into sleep. He heard Uhura giggling softly at his side and his brow furrowed.

"Why are you laughing?" He asked.

"I just thought that this would be a terrible, yet humorous time for your mother to ring in on the vid-phone," Uhura said.

"This is one of the particular reasons why the vid-phone is set up in the common area and not in my bed quarters."

"I'm glad that I could be your first, Spock," she said, her voice soaked in sleep. He waited until he felt her heartbeat slow and her breathing get heavy.

"I am delighted that I have found you, ashayam," Spock whispered into the quiet air and allowed himself to drift off into sleep.


	15. Chapter 15

Spock stood in Uhura's cadet dorm room alone, feeling strangely foreign in this room obviously occupied by women. He was picking up some clothes for her, because she was going to be spending the weekend with him in his quarters. She'd left a bag on her bed for him to pack and explicit instructions next to bag on which things that he should pack. Spock had taken the appropriate precautions in entering the room, and was in the middle of devising a plan as to how to leave the dorms without speculation.

_Spock,_

_As you can see my toiletries are already packed in the bag. I just need for you to pick up my favorite pair of jeans with the holes in knees, three shirts and some underwear for the weekend (how ever many pairs you find suitable). I will also need some comfortable shoes (preferably flip-flops, unless we're going somewhere, then maybe something a bit more dressy). I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to pack this morning, but I was running late. _

_I love you,_

_Nyota_

Spock was unnerved by the quiet in the room, but he was a man of action and was not going to be frightened by packing a pair of Uhura's panties. He liked Uhura's panties. It was time to search for Uhura's panties and then go about his business of removing Uhura's panties later. With that in mind, he set about the task of collecting Uhura's things for the weekend, and what a weekend it was going to be. He started with her closet, pulling her neatly filed jeans and the three shirts that he adored her in. He folded the clothes and put them in the duffle bag that she'd prepared for him and then walked towards the drawer that contained her panties. He opened the drawer and saw the plethora of different underwear that Uhura contained. He was sure he'd seen at least a third of these panties, and some of them he remembered fondly. He sifted thru the ones that he hadn't seen on and decided to pick those as the one that he wanted to add to the fond memories category. It was only logical.

As Spock made choices of panties, he pushed to the back of the drawer and found something unprecedented. Instead of pulling panties from the drawer, he pulled out a medium sized contraption. It was phallic-shaped and colored green, and had a strange finger-shaped obtrusion sticking from the base. There were ridges running down the length of the shaft and at the base there were two different buttons. Spock pushed one of the buttons at the base and the head started to rotate slowly. He noted that this one button had three different settings. He turned off that button and then pushed the other button, which started to vibrate the finger-shaped obtrusion. Spock stared at the contraption, knowing full well what it was. He swallowed, strangely frustrated. He threw it back into the drawer and started to search more. He found a small birthday card from Gaila underneath where he'd found the contraption. Spock pulled the card from the drawer and started to read:

_Ny,_

_I know how you feel about the Commander and I think he feels the same way about you. You always did like a challenge and this is a challenge. Here is a gift for all those hard nights where you come home frustrated. You know, a little Vulcan to entrap a little Vulcan._

_Happy Birthday,_

_Gaila_

_PS: It only comes in one color, your favorite, Green. HA HA HA!_

At the base of the contraption was written _Little Vulcan: A sexual aid. _Spock tensed and finished his packing, leaving the room as quickly as possible.

Later that night when Spock and Uhura were in his quarters eating a meal that Spock had especially prepared, Nyota noted that Spock had a strange look on his face. His eyebrows were knitted closely and his nose was strangely upturned. His lips were thin and pulled tightly. Nyota thought that his look was probably disgust, but then shook those ideas from her head; Vulcans didn't understand the concept of disgust.

"Thanks for packing my bag, Spock," Nyota said, taking a sip of water.

"It was rather an interesting experience, Nyota," his voice sounded biting. He noted that she frowned at this.

"I'm sorry if I put you out, I just didn't have time to pack this morning. It must have been an awkward experience."

"Not awkward, interesting. I must say, I didn't know that you were in the brand of using machines to find your pleasure," Spock stated, standing and collecting the dishes from the table. He didn't see the strange look Nyota's eyes gave him.

"Excuse me?" Uhura said, standing from the table and putting her hands on her hips.

"I found my replacement today," Spock responded, dropping glass dishes into the dishwasher.

"What are you talking about?" she stared at the back of his head.

"Your little Vulcan," he responded, not turning around. Nyota bit her bottom lip in response, trying to garner her embarrassment.

"You found my vibrator?"

"Yes," he responded, finally turning around. His eyes were strange and extremely cold.

"And you consider my vibrator to be a threat?" she said. Spock took a step back.

"Not a threat, but I cannot say that I approve," he responded.

"I must say, Spock that I don't care if you approve of me using a vibrator."

"I don't see the need," he said, moving across the room quickly, not looking at her.

"Are you serious? I'm a human woman, I have needs…"

"And you being a human woman, do I not fulfill your needs?" Spock was standing in the common area. She saw his shoulder's slump and walked behind him, putting her arms around his chest.

"Is that what this is about? Spock, you know you fulfill my needs,"

"Then why do you keep it around," Spock asked.

"Just in case you're not… available," Nyota said the words with trepidation. Spock turned at this.

"When will I never be available to service you?" his words were harsh. Nyota, in a rash and hurried anger walked to the sofa and collected her duffle bag. She put on her shoes and started for the door.

"I didn't come to argue with you. If this weekend is going to be full of fighting, then I'm leaving," she said, starting for the door. Before she met the door she felt strong, warm arms around her.

"Don't go," he said into her ear. She bit back her anger with a deep swallow. She turned slowly in his arms.

"Then what do you want me to say?" she asked.

"It's the thought that you pleasure yourself without my assistance, Nyota. The thought unnerves me."

"You do realize that you're jealous of a battery-operated machine, right? You are the only one that I want. Gaila gave it to me becaue she knew that I was frustrated sexually by the whole thing. It's not a replacement, Spock, it's a supplement" Spock only nodded in understanding.

She kissed his chin and then moved upward to his cheek, and then to his nose. He closed his eyes and she kissed each closed lid. It was his actions that brought his lips to hers in a searing kiss. She deepened the kiss, swirling her tongue inside of his mouth and clasping small and deft hands to the nape of his neck. He lowered the kiss to her neck and she sighed.

He picked her up and walked into his bedroom, dropping her to the bed and watching her writhe upon the gray sheets. He lifted up her Starfleet uniform skirt and felt that she was wet there and removed her panties. Pulling down his pants, he entered her slowly, inch by glorious inch. She clutched at his clothed back and sighed. He started to move inside of her, feeling her warm heat clutch around him. He pulled her legs against the side of his hips and kicked off his pants.

"Look at me," he said, she complied. He started to thrust inside of her, skillfully hitting that spot inside of her that made her feel out of control.

"There is nothing like this," she whispered into a kiss and came around him, squeezing him and causing him to spill inside of her with a shudder and a groan.

It was quiet for a moment as he rolled himself from on top of her and onto his back. She lay there, fully clothed and then arched her head to stare at him. She ran her cool fingers through his silky, black hair.

"I apologize for my jealousy, Nyota," he said, wrapping his arms around her and whispering into her ear, nipping the small shell-shaped bud. She smiled and clutched his arms tighter around her.

"You please and satisfy me, Spock. I have never loved anyone more than you. There is no need for you to be jealous of anything or anyone. Know that what I have said is the truth," she said, kissing his hands. He shuddered. He kissed her neck and nuzzled the same spot with his nose.

"I will not be jealous again, Nyota," Spock responded, realizing that he almost lost his weekend with his ashayam.

The rest of the weekend went as planned. They barely left his quarters, and when they did, it was Spock that went and retrieved the magical vibrator to try some techniques on his beloved to see if he could improve his game. Nyota didn't mind and Spock learned a few tricks from the little Vulcan, it was a supplementary learning tool after all.


End file.
